Teen who murdered Davis couple could be retried as a juvenile in Yolo County court

Daniel Marsh could be retried as a juvenile for murder of Davis couple in 2013

By Democrat staff

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

A man serving 52-years-to-life in prison for murdering an elderly couple in their Davis home has had his sentencing conditionally reversed.

Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced the Third District Court of Appeal “conditionally reversed” the conviction of double-murderer Daniel Marsh of Davis and ordered the 2013 case returned to Yolo County for the juvenile court to conduct a “transfer hearing.”

“The purpose of the transfer hearing is for the juvenile court judge to determine Marsh’s suitability for treatment in juvenile or criminal court,” Reisig stated. “If the judge determines that Marsh is suitable for juvenile court, he could only be detained until he reaches the age of 25.”

Marsh is now 20 years old. He was 15 when he committed the murders.

If instead, the judge finds Marsh more suitable for adult court, the original conviction and sentence would be reinstated. The Appellate Court commented that “it could be argued that it is not even remotely probable that the juvenile court would find the present defendant suitable for juvenile court.”

In 2014, a jury unanimously found Marsh guilty of first degree murder of Chip Northup and his wife Claudia Maupin while they slept in their Davis home on April 13, 2013. Marsh was arrested on June 17 the same year.

The crime shocked Yolo County. Maupin was a retired judge and well known as one of the members of the popular local music group Putah Creek Crawdads.

He was also found guilty of enhancements true for lying in wait, torture and using a deadly weapon.

The group soon returned for the sanity phase of the trial and found Marsh was sane at the time of the offenses. After assessing an appropriate sentencing for Marsh, the trial court imposed an indeterminate life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years.

Marsh would become eligible for parole in 25 years.

However, in November 2016, Prop. 57 passed which eliminated any discretion by prosecutors to file charges against minors in adult criminal court, Reisig added.

Instead, Prop. 57 requires judges to decide whether juveniles may be prosecuted as adults. Based on a recent Supreme Court Ruling, the Appellate Court in this case ruled that Prop. 57 was retroactive to cases that are not deemed “final” which includes cases that are still on appeal.

Marsh will return to Yolo County and a transfer hearing will be set within the next few months. The hearing will require a presentation of facts of the case to the juvenile court and victim impact testimony.

During his December 2014 sentencing hearing, Marsh heard victim impact statements, calling the then 17-year-old a “monster.”

“I sat in horror as I listened to the details of this crime,” she said, referring to Marsh’s confession. Hurd was present every day of the trial, getting answers and learning more about the 15-year-old who broke into her mother’s home, standing above the couple before taking their lives.

“My mother begged him for her life,” she said. “They were taken from their home in body bags. I will remember that moment for the rest of my life.”